Blacklock is the sister restaurant to the brilliant Hawksmoor. Whilst the former is all about steak, the latter is all about chops.

To make things easy, we went “all in” for £20 a head. For this we got snacks, chops and sides.

Snacks were great - crisp crackers were topped with smoky shredded pigs head and punchy kimchi; creamy as heck egg mayo topped with white onion and salty anchovy; and savoury stilton paired with crunchy pickled vegetables.

A groaning platter of chargrilled chops for two was a picture of beauty. A selection of sirloin of beef, loin, rib and belly of pork, and cutlet and t-bone of lamb were all crisp of fat and full of flavour. The pork and lamb were the standouts as the beef was a touch chewy.

Nestled beneath all that meat was a flame licked, garlicky, meat juice-soaked flat bread. You need it in your life.

Charred courgettes and chicory were topped with melted stilton. This place certainly knows how to make luxury veg.

Blacklock are known for their family-style desserts that are portioned out at the table. We had a bowl of light and creamy white chocolate cheesecake (£5) with a buttery biscuit base and side of fragrant rhubarb syrup.

We loved our meal at Blacklock and at £20 a head for the all in deal, it’s a great value central London meal.

When I rocked up to Borough Market at 11.40am on a Wednesday there were already 15 people ahead of me in the queue for Padella. And by the time this acclaimed little pasta joint opened its doors, there were 20 more behind me. Dare I say it, but it’s probably worth the wait for the stellar and good value food.

I was amazed by the weeny queue when I arrived at Hoppers just before midday. One of 2015’s hottest openings, this Sri Lankan restaurant is the kind of place you’d expect there to always be people waiting.

Bone marrow varuval (£6.50) was the highlight of the meal. Four whopping bones contained wobbly, buttery marrow that I scraped into a creamy sauce thick with spice and curry leaf. A flaky roti was the perfect mop.

Hot butter devilled shrimps (£7) sounded more flavoursome on paper than they were on the plate. Tender, buttery shrimp were served in a sauce littered with fresh spring onions and mild green peppers. It was all very fresh tasting but it could have done with a bigger heft of spice.

For main, I ordered the eponymous egg hopper (£4.50). A crisp, faintly tangy bowl-shaped pancake nestled an egg at its centre. Accompanying sambols and chutneys - smoky sweet onion, crunchy coconut and spicy coriander - were all excellent. A pot of black pork kari (£7) was deeply-spiced and loaded with tender pieces of meat.

I had a lush lunch at Hoppers. I still can’t believe there were tables free by the time I left.

The Borough market-based Bread Ahead produce Instagram-friendly doughnuts. A salted caramel number (£3) was stuffed to the brim with smooth, delicately caramel-twanged custard. But, the dough itself was a touch dry - I reckon Early Bird’s examples in Cardiff are better.

This beautifully designed Indian restaurant is inspired by the Irani cafes of Bombay. Set over 3 floors with a seemingly infinite number of tables, we were told it would be at least an hour and a half wait for a table. Cry.

However, we asked about some empty tables outside and were seated immediately. The fact I needed gloves by the end of the night might explain why they were unoccupied.

About Gourmet Gorro

My name is Ed Gilbert. I'm an indiscriminate glutton who enjoys a late night doner as much as a bit of posh. I like to think I can occasionally share a valid opinion about food when my judgement hasn't been clouded by the meat red mist. I'm a Cardiff based Geordie who's spent time living in Newcastle, London, Chester and Cambridge. I mostly write reviews of restaurants in Cardiff, South Wales.

I use a Lumix LX5 camera. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated.